Stacey Dooley has wowed fans with here eclectic kitchen on Instagram. The documentary maker recently posted a video on the social media platform of the downstairs of her home.
The star has previously shown other parts of her stunning home, but the latest tour that focused on the spacious kitchen wowed her fans with its effortless style. Many fans commented how the home is a perfect blend of old and new, providing a stylishly modern, yet antique, lived-in feel to the property she shares with her baby daughter Minnie and partner, Strictly star Kevin Clifton.
So why does her home feel so perfectly balanced and executed? We spoke to interior designers to get their take on Stacey's gorgeous decor and encourage us all to start buying secondhand furniture.
Stacey Dooley’s kitchen
Former Strictly star Stacey uploaded a tour of her kitchen, dining room and living room for delighted fans just recently, which she explains was taken in the early morning before anyone else woke up.
In the caption of the short video, she said, ‘I LOVE waking up before the rest of the house. 💕 Love pottering around when everyone’s upstairs snoozing 💤 We were staying in Kent last couple months with Kevs work and it’s SO dreamy to be HOME 💕 My fave place in the world 🎯’
And we can definitely see why!
Fans noted that the interior is an expert mix of more unique, antique pieces, such as a giant wooden kitchen island and a gorgeous, decorative mirror – and more modern items, such as a dark Carrara marble fireplace, a stunning white marble table, and herringbone wood flooring.
One follower commented, 'LOVE the mix of new, old and repurposed …. just my taste! can we please have a more in depth tour of the kitchen ?', while another agreed, 'What a beautiful home, love the mix of old and new.'
Interior designer Justine Potts, of Potts Design, shares that Stacey and Kevin have used a clever trick to make these two contrasting decor schemes work well alongside one another.
'Stacey has used lots of old and new elements together, and there are several reasons as to why this is working so well in the design.' she says.
'Firstly you will notice that there is a cohesive colour palette throughout that underpins everything. Black is a really clever colour choice as it’s timeless and also ties the individual spaces together.'
She also notes that Stacey has been especially considered when it comes to the furniture she's chosen for her home.
'Each vintage piece has been really carefully chosen to fit the space, both for use and size,' Justine notes. ‘It is clearly a lovely period property.'
So for those of us inspired to make some changes in our home, how would we go about creating a similar feel? The key, Justine says, is to follow Stacey's lead and choose your furniture wisely.
'It’s important to always consider which furniture will not only enhance any period features in the room, but also work practically for you,' she says. 'My tips when looking to create something similar is to make sure the piece is the right scale for the room.'
Josie Lywood, Creative Director at Q Design House , also suggests leaning into a few statement pieces, if possible, to create a similar aesthetic to Stacey.
For example, if you're lucky enough to have an open kitchen dining area like Stacey, 'a statement freestanding island can help enlarge a kitchen as they are usually on legs rather than solid, so keep the area feeling much more spacious,' Josie explains.
'These also can be practical for a multi-purpose space, providing extra shelving and drawers for additional storage and display.'
Ellen Pryce, Design Director of The Nanu Group and Co-Founder of The Collective Inc agreed, explaining that the flawlessly traditional yet modern feel of Stacey's home is created as a result of her neutral decor paired with antique statement pieces.
'Stacey has done an amazing job bringing through Minimalist Scandi style into her Victorian Terrace,' she says. 'She has used stripped-back polished plaster walls to create a serene and dreamy colour palette – but not forgetting its history, Stacey has also brought through some key vintage pieces like the weathered butchers block in the kitchen.'
